author
Agnes E. Ryan
1878–1954
A lively voice in the American suffrage movement, she brought together activism, editing, and reform-minded writing. Her work ranged from the pages of Woman's Journal to later advocacy for peace, vegetarianism, and nonviolence.
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About the author
Born Agnes Edna Ryan on November 10, 1878, she became known as an American suffragist, pacifist, vegetarian, and writer. After graduating from Boston University in 1903, she worked in publishing and magazines before taking on the role for which many readers remember her best: managing editor of Woman's Journal from 1910 to 1917.
Her writing and organizing were closely tied to social reform. She wrote about women's rights and the suffrage movement, including The Torch Bearer, and helped shape one of the most important publications connected with the campaign for women's political equality in the United States.
After leaving Woman's Journal, she settled in Durham, New Hampshire, with her husband, Henry Bailey Stevens. There she continued freelance writing and pursued causes that mattered deeply to her, especially peace, nonviolence, vegetarianism, and simple living. Archival collections and artist records also show her connection to the MacDowell community and to a long life of public-minded work that continued well beyond the suffrage years.